A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed

HOW ODD THAT MASSACRES MOSTLY HAPPEN IN "GUN-FREE ZONES"! When will the brain-dead Left wake up and draw the obvious conclusion? Gun bans kill kids

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Soldiers Finding WWII Weapons in Iraq

While searching for weapons caches, American soldiers near Abu Ghraib often play the part of accidental archaeologists. Iraq is a country steeped in history, but the artifacts that soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry have periodically stumbled on are not born of the Middle East. Instead, they have migrated from Europe and Asia, remnants of past battlefields that have been pressed into service again.

Rifles etched with the Nazi eagle and swastika, Tommy guns seemingly straight out of black and white gangster movies, and a British Sterling submachine gun familiar to any World War II enthusiast have been found among the weapons troves of insurgents. The weapons, often preserved in their hiding places in motor oil, are discovered in perfect working order, a startling incongruence to their surroundings in Iraq and modern warfare. “Most of this stuff should be in a museum and not floating around,” said Capt. Rene Diaz, 29, of Puerto Rico. “You normally can only read about these kinds of weapons.”

The unit finds about two to three weapons caches per week, said Capt. Shaun Trinkle. The finds vary in size from a couple of guns with a few hundred rounds to larger caches with dozens of weapons and explosives. Trinkle, a 27-year-old from Fort Hood, Texas, said soldiers typically find a variation of the AK automatic rifle, a weapon common to many Iraqi households.

But on a dozen occasions, the troops have found weapons that date as far back as the 1930s and 40s. The weapons, from places like Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, are worth tens of thousands of dollars to collectors, Diaz said. Diaz, a gun enthusiast, spends time pulling apart the rare weapons, studying the sturdy design that has allowed them to continue performing more than a half century after their manufacture. “These old weapons were designed to be pounded and punished,” he said. “In World War II they were made simple and easy to use. And here they still are.”

Trinkle, another admirer of vintage weapons, said it is anyone’s guess how the guns — some worth upwards of $25,000 on the antiquities market — could have found their way into dirt holes in the orchards and rutted fields of western Baghdad. “Sometimes it amazes me,” he said. “Some of the guns may have been family heirlooms passed down. Some may have been surplus weapons sold by other countries to Iraq. Some may have been floating around on the black market.”

The appearance of British weapons has the most plausible explanation, the soldiers said. The guns were likely remainders of the colonial British presence in Iraq during the early part of the 20th century. Iraq achieved independence from the British in the 1930s. “The weapons are pretty rugged,” Diaz said. “But a lot of them were destroyed after [World War II] so that’s why they’re collector’s items.”

Diaz said he hopes some of the antique guns are displayed at the unit’s home base in Fort Hood. The process of clearing the weapons for return to the United States involves a lot of paperwork, he said, but otherwise the guns will be destroyed or turned over to Iraqi authorities. “This is real unique stuff that you definitely don’t see every day in the United States,” Trinkle said. “Here you just find them buried in the ground.”

Texas Man Found Dead After Dispute Turned Deadly : "Smith County Sheriff deputies are investigating a dispute that turned deadly after one man allegedly threw tools at another at a home near Gladewater. Smith County Sheriff Sgt. Randy Meadows said the shooting occurred in the 22100 block of County Road 374 about 12:30 Saturday morning and left a 40-year-old man dead. "We got a call that there had been a shooting and when deputies arrived they found George Edward Hill dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds," he said. Meadows said detectives at the scene saw evidence of a struggle, including a sling blade that was stuck in the wall. "It appears at this time that Hill showed up at the home and began arguing with David Allen McBride and then began throwing tools at him," he said. Meadows said Hill was throwing different types of tools and McBride reported he feared for his life and armed himself with a handgun and fired multiple shots striking Hill. "Right now it appears to be self-defense, but the investigation is ongoing," he said. "No charges have been filed at this time."

Tables turned in Florida attack : "Jacob Seckler keeps a gun in his pocket when he mows the lawn. He keeps a gun in his pillowcase when he tries to sleep, but the shadows dancing across the bedroom walls keep him awake. “I’m strictly against guns. I never wanted them in the house,” said Seckler. “Now I wouldn’t be in the house without a gun.” Seckler’s stance on guns changed the morning of May 16. He was mowing his lawn when he turned around and saw two 20-year-old men standing behind him. Seckler said one of the men was pointing a gun at his head. After Seckler, 50, raised his hands to the sky, the two men pushed him past the garage toward the front door of his home in northeast Cape Coral. They held him at gunpoint and said they were getting into his house no matter what. A struggle ensued at the front door. Seckler refused to let the men inside and they beat him over the head with the pistol and their elbows and fists. One of the men bit Seckler’s back. Seckler’s fiancee, Elizabeth Kachnic, 37, said she heard screaming and the door slam repeatedly. “I don’t know what happened to me,” said Seckler. “I was so scared. I’m not crazy like that, but I knew I had to do something.” The gun was pressed against Seckler’s temple. He said he pushed the assailant’s hand down and the gun fell to the ground. Seckler said he screamed for Kachnic to call 911 as he and the two men scrambled for the weapon. “I got the gun. I just turned around and shot,” said Seckler. “If they did not come here with a gun, they would be alive. It’s their fault.” He fired every bullet in the clip. One of the men, John Patrick Moore Jr., was hit as he sprinted across Seckler’s driveway. He stumbled to the edge of the street and died."

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

California: Ryan O'Neal Won't Face Criminal Charges: "Prosecutors declined Friday to charge Ryan O'Neal with assault with a deadly weapon for firing a gun during a brawl with his older son earlier this year. There was insufficient evidence "to prove this case to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt," said a report from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. "Witnesses gave, in different interviews, conflicting stories" of what happened during the brawl, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office. Mark Werksman, O'Neal's attorney, said prosecutors did the right thing by declining to pursue the case. "It's a tremendous relief for Mr. O'Neal to have this resolved favorably in this manner," said Werksman, claiming his client acted in self-defense. O'Neal, 66, was arrested at his Malibu home Feb. 3 for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm. He was freed on a $50,000 bond. The actor has said he fired a warning shot to scare his 42-year-old son, Griffin O'Neal, who had attacked him with a fireplace poker. He said his son lashed out at him during a fight, but he ducked and the poker struck Griffin O'Neal's pregnant girlfriend, Joanna Berry. She needed stitches for a facial cut, her attorney has said. Werksman said Ryan O'Neal suffered bruises to his arms and legs when he was struck several times."

Oklahoma: Clerk and robber both shot: "A convenience store clerk is in good condition at a local hospital after being shot during a robbery attempt in northwest Oklahoma City this morning, a police spokesman said. The suspect is also thought to have been shot, police Sgt. Paco Balderrama said. The suspected robber is in police custody after calling for paramedics shortly after the attempted heist. Police have not released the identities of either the clerk or the robber. About 2:15 a.m., police responded to the 4 Seasons Gas & Food at northwest 63 and Santa Fe, where the clerk at the store had been shot in the chest and left hand by a robber, Balderrama said. The suspect ran, but the clerk told police he had shot the robber before the man left the store. A short time later, the suspected robber called for medical help about a gunshot wound from 6316 W Wilshire Blvd., Balderrama said. The man was taken to a hospital and is currently in police custody. Police think he is responsible for the robbery, Balderrama said. The clerk is good condition this morning, recovering from his wounds at OU Medical Center"

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Utah householder shoots at white guy in black hat (just like the movies): "A man shot at a burglar who entered his apartment Tuesday night. Police said a man dressed in black broke into an apartment, at 1100 South block of 200 East, about 11:20 p.m. and told a man inside he would kill him. The resident, who was watching television at the time, tussled with the burglar in the living room and broke free, authorities said. The resident went to the bedroom and grabbed a gun, shooting three times as the burglar ran away, said police. The burglar appeared to get away unscathed, police said. He was described as white, in his 20s, 5 feet, 10 inches tall and wearing black shorts, a black shirt and a black hat".

Texas man fatally shot by bar owner in robbery attempt: "A man was fatally shot by the owner of a north Houston business he was allegedly attempting to rob Sunday night. Police were called to the 5800 block of Fulton around 10:30 p.m. and discovered the body of a man, dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. An automatic weapon was nearby. The owner of the bar told police that he confronted the man, who he believed to be a burglar, and the two exchanged gunfire. Witnesses told police that four shots were fired, said HPD Homicide Sgt. Ramiro Lozano. The owner of the business was not injured and the incident remains under investigation."

Tennessee shooting ruled justifiable: "Local and state investigators said this weekend’s shooting death of a Tennessee National Guardsman was done in self defense. The shooting happened early Sunday morning at a home on Dexter Gouge Road in the Limestone Cove area of Unicoi County. They say the homeowner was defending himself when a man pushed himself into the home holding a gun. Investigators said Clarence Hyder went to Nathan Gouge's home with a gun in his hand and he had another gun and rifle in his pick-up truck. Sheriff Kent Harris says he believes Hyder went to Gouge's home because he felt Gouge was talking about him behind his back. "Hyder already told his wife and his father in law that he already had a problem with Gouge. His wife, her first reaction was she thought possible that Hyder rode by there and shot into their house,” Sheriff Harris said. Sheriff Harris said Hyder was a guardsman with the Tennessee National Guard and returned from Iraq about a year ago. Harris described Gouge and Hyder as long time friends. The sheriff doesn't expect any charges to be filed and an autopsy as been requested for Hyder."

Monday, May 28, 2007

Mississippi: Feisty store clerk kills robber: "It happened just before 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning at the Super Seven gas station located at 4564 Bullard Street. According to police, the four suspects entered the store. Two were carrying shotguns and the other two were carrying pistols. Two of the suspects began tussling with the clerk. Eventually, the clerk pulled out his own handgun and began shooting at the suspects. 17-year-old Deonta Thomas was shot in the chest. He died on the scene. 16-year-old Ryaneal Campbell was shot in the leg. He is recovering at U.M.C. and will eventually be charged with armed robbery. The store clerk does not face any charges. The other two suspects fled the scene on foot. They were wearing masks to partially conceal their faces."

IN: No guns allowed, if you're a visitor: "Pistol-packing tourists at the Statehouse soon will have to leave their guns at home. Lawmakers and judges, however, will be exempt from new Statehouse security restrictions that go into effect June 4. The Statehouse -- which includes the governor's and lieutenant governor's offices, the legislature and the Indiana Supreme Court -- has been wide open, with no metal detectors and numerous entrances. Under the new policy, guns will be banned, and visitors will have to pass through metal detectors. ... the new rules do not apply to legislators or judges who, as members of separate branches of government, set their own rules."

Observant Florida mayor catches dumb crooks: "After a customer wrestled a gun away from a convenience store robber, an unlikely figure foiled the getaway: North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns. The gunman, wearing a dark blue bandanna over his face, walked into the market at Northeast 14th Avenue and 129th Street about 4 p.m., police say. After a customer tackled and disarmed him, he ran outside and jumped into a waiting gray Chrysler or Dodge with two other men. Burns, reelected last week, was driving to City Hall when he saw the scene unfold. For 10 minutes, he followed the car, trying unsuccessfully to dial 911. The robbers, aware they were being followed by his Secret Service-esque black SUV, abandoned their car behind North Miami's Jewish Community Center, 735 NE 125th St. Meanwhile, North Miami's new Strike Team, a group of detectives who target gangs and fugitives, were cruising the streets. One detective, John Mayato, happened upon Burns at the parking lot. Later, as the two guarded the abandoned car, another car cruised through the alleyway -- and Burns said he recognized the dreadlocked man as a passenger in the car he'd followed earlier. Mayato radioed fellow detectives, who pulled the car over. The dreadlocked man, whose name was not released, had called friends to pick him up, police believe. ''The amazing thing is he came back to the scene of the crime where they dumped the car,'' Burns said. Another man, Kendrick Jolly, 19, was found loitering in the area. His bandanna -- and ID -- were found inside the abandoned rental car, police said. Jolly has been charged with armed robbery. Detectives found another gun inside the car."

Arizona slaying ruled justifiable homicide: "The County Attorney's Office has deemed the March 3 fatal shooting of a 21-year-old-man by a near North Side resident justifiable and no charges will be sought in the case, authorities said. Killed was Charles Alvin Eisner, police said. Sgt. Decio Hopffer, a Tucson police spokesman would not name the man who shot Eisner because the shooter has not been charged with a crime. Eisner was shot before dawn after the occupant of a home near East Fort Lowell Road and North First Avenue heard noises in the carport, went to investigate and spotted a stranger in the carport, said Rick Unklesbay, chief trial counsel for the County Attorney's Office. Unklesbay said the resident went back into the house to put on clothing and when he turned around he found the stranger had rushed into the darkened home and the resident shot the intruder. A review of the police investigation lead to a determination the shooting was a justifiable homicide and the decision was made this month not to seek charges, Unklesbay said. The shooting was immediately reported to police by the resident, Unklesbay said."

Ohio man Shoots Pit Bull When It Tries To Attack: "A man was attacked by a pitbull on the city's east side Thursday morning before a gas station owner shot the dog. The attack happened at East 55th Street and St. Clair Avenue. Gas station owner Steve Daymut said he saw two pit bulls were walking unleashed near the busy intersection and one of the dogs got hit by a car. He wanted to help the dogs, but when the uninjured dog seized a passerby, Daymut ran back to the station and grabbed his 9 mm handgun. He shot the pit bull as it started to come toward him. The passerby was taken to an area hospital with injuries to his arm. His condition is not known."

MO: Bill would extend protection for deadly force: "An effort to expand [sic] gun rights in Missouri has been forwarded to Gov. Matt Blunt's desk. Dubbed the 'Castle Doctrine,' the House and Senate reached agreement on the bill, which is intended to expand a person's justifications for using deadly force in self-defense beyond the traditional defense of one's home. Current Missouri law justifies the use of deadly force only if people believe it's necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious injury. The bill -- SB62 -- would give people in homes as well as car and truck drivers wide discretion in the use of deadly force against intruders. People would be immune from criminal and civil actions for killing or injuring someone in self-defense."

Saturday, May 26, 2007

The Dead Horse in the Living Room: School Shootings

We are loathe to discuss the dead horse on the living room floor because we don't want to contemplate the fact that we would have to do something tangible about it. So we simply tiptoe over it and try to ignore its presence. Similarly, that is how we treat school security and prohibiting guns on campus.

There's an old story about a couple who moved into a new neighborhood. When their next door neighbor invited them to dinner, they gladly accepted. When the big evening arrived, they donned their best social attire, grabbed a little gift for the host and hostess, and presented themselves at the neighbor's front door at the appointed time, hungry, and ready to cement their new friendship.

Once inside, they immediately became aware that there was a dead horse on the living room floor! The hosts made no mention, indeed they quietly stepped over it in offering hors doevres, wine and small talk. When moving from the living room to the dining room, they had to step over the poor thing, yet the hosts acted like nothing was amiss. Dinner was splendid except for the knowledge that there was a dead horse in the next room, yet no one seemed to find it the least bit odd. It was strange, but even after dinner, when they retreated from the dining room back to the living room, there was that huge dead horse in the living room floor. The hosts continued to step over it each time they moved about, and they paid absolutely no attention, yet it was still there, plain as life.

Finally, as the new couple made their way past the dead horse to take their leave, the wife couldn't take it anymore. She turned to the hostess and asked "are you aware that there is a dead horse on your living room floor?" The hostess replied "Of course, but we don't like to talk about it".

The dead horse on the living room floor. It's there all right and we are most certainly aware of its presence, yet we pretend that it doesn't exist. Why? Well, first of all, if we acknowledged its presence, then we'd have to do something about it. Second, it is unpleasant, and whilst we know we'd have to clean it up, the cleansing might challenge us. We hope by denying its presence, that we won't have to deal with it, to think about it, to speak it's name. We hide from the truth. It might belie our self opinion, our perception of the world around us, it might make us think, change our minds.

Well? There's a dead horse on the living room floor. At least when we think of school security, and the possibility of some nut case coming in and shooting up the place, and the people inside. We are loathe to discuss the dead horse because we don't want to contemplate the fact that we would have to do something tangible about it. So we simply tiptoe over it and try to ignore its presence. And we pray that others will do the same.

Like an alcoholic refusing to admit that they have a problem because then they'd have to do something about it, we all can see the dead horse, yet no one wants to do anything about it. Meanwhile, it continues to fester. What about future happenings? Future victims?

Well, there's a problem with this strategy, as Virginia Tech shows us. We can try to ignore dead horses, but they continue to make their presence known to us, and our avoidance of the topic becomes more and more silly and pathetic as time passes, and events illustrate the fallacy of our preconceived notions.

The read dead horse is, of course the sad fact that the VA Tech nutcase had time to chain the doors, reload, and perform many other tasks - including killing as many people as possible - simply because he had no viable opposition. The dead horse is the fact that when nutcases come to our schools looking to make names for themselves, they know that they face no effective opposition.

32 people dead in VA Tech. how many would be alive and walking around today had there been someone - anyone inside that building who could mount effective opposition? The dead horse I refer to is why wasn't anybody else armed? Why wasn't there an armed person inside that building who could provide effective protection for the victims, who could only be led like sheep (or horses) to slaughter?

We know that name of that dead horse - the college administration is afraid of guns and had banned them from campus - even by licensed permit holders. Not only that, but they had just successfully defended this policy against a licensed permit holder in court. And not only that, they crowed over their victory, claiming it would make the campus safer. Events have proved that this policy, far from making people safer, actually increased their vulnerability for when the nutcase came.

Guns are banned from public places out of ignorance and propaganda. Those who know the truth know that guns are used far more often to deter crime than to cause it. They know that passing laws, enacting policies, etc. only deter the `good guys', and do nothing to stop the `bad guys'. In fact, by publicizing the fact that yours is a `gun free' zone, you effectively invite every nutcase in the vicinity to use your facility, and your people, as targets in his shooting gallery. You guarantee him safety from opposition whilst he continues to kill more and more people. And you take the right to self defense away from the victims.

Study after study (Kleck and Lott to name two) have affirmed that when `good guys' carry guns, that `multiple victim' shooting decrease in number. Who can possibly NOT want the chance of a multiple victim shooting to decrease? And when they do occur, the number of victims is far fewer. That means less people killed. Guns in the hands of normal citizens, permit holders if you will, are lifesavers. Yet for decades we have been told that guns are dangerous and ought to be banned.

Another dead horse is the fact that gun bans do not work, never have. Place after place, country after country, society after society has seen violent crime rates jump after gun bans are put into place. History shows gun control a dismal failure when and wherever it is tried, yet some people persist, stepping over the dead horse of disarmed victims, and armed criminals. They actually make us less safe than before, yet continue down the spiral of violence that they increasingly enable. Another dead horse that we don't talk about.

The truth is just about the opposite: more guns means less crime, including school shootings. If you look at the events behind every school shooting in recent history, the only ones that ended before the shooters were satisfied involved armed intervention. With nothing to stop them, the armed people just keep killing until they are satiated. With armed opposition, they are thwarted.

And don't tell me about getting the police. The VA Tech nutcase managed to kill entire classrooms full of people before the police could even be called - let alone arrive, setup, and gain entry (remember: he chained the doors). You can kill a lot of people in a very short time -especially if they cannot escape, and help cannot arrive. Some schools hire armed guards to deal with the threat. But armed guards are often the first ones to die - remember the lottery shootings? And that guard wasn't even armed.

So how many of the 32 could be alive and among us today had just one person inside that building been armed? Certainly not all could have been saved, but some. Can you look at the pictures of the victims and know who is now dead because of the dead horse that was VA Tech's `gun free' policies? Can you tell who is no longer able to live and enjoy life because no one could save them? Can you look into each young, promising eye, and say that that future was denied precisely because the administration is proudly squeamish about reality? Another dead horse.

Will school shootings continue? You bet. As long as nut cases know that they can come in, face no opposition, and kill as many innocents as they desire, things like this will continue to occur. As long as our schools are virtually proclaimed to be `nutcase shooting galleries", and our children, our young, our future, held out as expendable targets for the evil among us, that evil will continue. As long as we continue to tiptoe around the dead horse, it will continue to fester and reek of folly.

Some people believe that security cameras will deter shootings. In Great Britain - the most monitored society on the planet - violent crime is on the rise. All the cameras can do is to record the event. They can do nothing to stop it, or bring it to an early conclusion. There is only one way of doing that - the dead horse - promote the presence of armed `good guys'.

Other people say that all one needs to do is to call the police. A call to the police takes time, time during which the caller can be shot. People who have had the necessity to call the police will substantiate the fact that the phone call takes time - time during which things are happening. One can empty a gun's magazine in less time than it takes to produce your cell phone, let alone punch in the digits for "911". Cell phone calls to the emergency line are often routed to the wrong department. I have had the need to call 9-1-1 twice during the past few years - and both times the call went to another police department. They had to switch my call to the other location, and I had to start the process all over again. Each time the phone call required over a full clock minute just to get the right person on the other end to pick up. Then I had to explain the situation, then I had to wait for the police to arrive. By the time an emergency phone call can be completed, the shooter has the opportunity to kill dozens of people. The dead horse is that when seconds count, not only does the caller become a target should they be noticed, but the arrival of help is measured in minutes. People die during that time.

So if we look at the dead horse in the living, talk about it, and take prudent, wise action, then we will eventually do the right thing. There are people among us who carry firearms every day. People we see in the grocery store, walking down the sidewalk, people who sit beside us in church, on the bus, on a park bench. Are they carrying? Perhaps so. Perhaps not. But if they are, and someone tries to commit a violent crime, you can rely upon them to stop it, perhaps to save lives. It should be more reassuring to know that these folks are around, than to believe in the dead horse that we can remove guns from bad people by passing laws or enacting policies. Should the unthinkable happen and someone stride into your facility shooting, wouldn't you want to have a friend who is armed beside you?

Which brings me to my final dead horse. The safety of gun holders is proven and unchallengeable. The statistics of concealed carry, for example, is unassailable, yet people continue to express fear of guns. You may very well be afraid of guns, but others aren't. others have learned about guns, and are not governed by ignorance, but by truth. Those very people - those `armed citizens' that you fear may be the only thing between you and a violent crime, perhaps even death. Will you take the time to learn the truth? Do you want to be really safe, or only `safe' in an illusory sense. My final question" Would you rather FEEL safe, or BE safe?

NC: Soldier kills home intruder: "A Fort Bragg soldier shot a 16-year-old intruder to death in his apartment early Wednesday, stopping an apparent home invasion. ... According to court documents, the four -- Geddie, Michael Fripp [above], Torrian Knowles and Kwuamae Keaton -- were at the apartment complex shortly after 5 a.m. Keaton, 17, reportedly stayed in the car while Fripp, 22, stood at the side of the building. They were acting as lookouts, police said. Geddie and Knowles, 18, went behind the apartment, court records said. Geddie kicked open the back door and went in. The occupants of the apartment -- soldier Brooks Boone and his wife -- were awakened by the noise, records said. Boone reportedly grabbed a gun from a nightstand beside the bed and fired several shots. Geddie was hit in the chest. The three who took him to the hospital have been charged with first-degree burglary and conspiracy...Buchkechio Geddie was a student at Hoke Christian Academy in Red Springs. He had attended South View High School but was expelled last year, his father said"

NC: Store owner holds burglar's accomplice at gunpoint: "Authorities said a man entered a Shell station on University Parkway at about 5:11 a.m. and demanded money. After he received an undisclosed amount of money, the culprit demanded money from the safe, police said. The owner, James William Overby, retrieved a handgun from a concealed location and pointed it at the culprit, according to Winston-Salem police. A short struggle ensued and the culprit fled on foot, police said. Overby then encountered a second culprit waiting in the suspect vehicle and ordered him to the ground, according to police. Overby detained that person until police arrived."

Friday, May 25, 2007

CA: Robber loses gun; ID'd by store video camera: "Woodland police have identified a suspect in the Tuesday morning attempted robbery of the AM/PM market at Ashley Avenue and Main Street. The suspect has been identified by police as Raul Aguilar Garcia, 22, of Woodland. Garcia is described as being 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighing around 195 pounds with brown hair and black eyes. He was last seen in the South Sacramento area Tuesday but may return to Woodland because he has relatives in the area, according to police. Garcia and another as yet unidentified suspect, are believe responsible for the attempted robbery of the market around 2:37 a.m. Tuesday. A quick thinking Woodland clerk wrestled an assault rifle away from the suspect, then chased him from the store, according to police. The suspect was brandishing the assault rifle and demanding cash at the time of the robbery attempt. The gunman demanded money and handed the clerk a bag, but the clerk took the opportunity to grab the barrel of the rifle. He was able to wrestle the gun from the robber's grasp. After the tables had turned, the clerk pointed the loaded rifle at the startled suspect who turned and fled the store. The suspect was last seen running eastbound on West Lincoln Avenue with a second unidentified man".

NY: Tenant shoots suspect during home invasion: "Shots were fired during a daring broad daylight burglary attempt Tuesday. Police say the incident happened on Sharon Avenue, where a tenant opened fire at a burglary suspect. ... This has been a frightening day for this family. Tenants could be seen power-blasting blood off their sidewalk, which the suspect left as he ran off. Police say that an 18-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with burglary. They add the shot, apparently fired by the female tenant, was in self defense."

Creeping control: "I see the busybodies at the Bureau of Land Management have their skirts in a bunch over recreational shooting on government land. Specifically, they want to ban recreational shooting at the Ironwood Forest National Monument in southern Arizona. The proposal to ban target shooting appears in two out of four strategies that fall under the monument's proposed resource management plan -- including the BLM's preferred Alternative C. In the plan, the BLM justifies the proposed ban by claiming, vaguely, that target shooting poses a risk to people engaged in dispersed recreation on the monument's 129,000 acres."

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Another triumph for Canadian gun control: "A 14-Year-old boy died in a Toronto hospital today after he was shot at a local high school. "There was a radio-call for a shooting at a school in Toronto," Constable George Schuurman of Toronto police said. The victim, believed to be 14, was taken to hospital but died, police chief Bill Blair said later. "A young man lost his life, a young student lost his life in the school," Mr Blair said. The school was briefly locked down in the afternoon as police searched for the shooter. Mr Blair said he had no information about suspects. "The only information we have is that this young man was found with a single gunshot wound," he said."

California gas station robber shot: "A man trying to rob a North Oakland gas station at gun point Tuesday morning was shot in the face by the owner, police said. The suspect, a 22-year-old Stockton man whose name was not released by police pending verification, is expected to recover. He was arrested about 15 minutes after the foiled robbery when he showed up at a San Leandro hospital. The station owner and a clerk who was also there were not hurt. The robbery happened about 7:25 a.m. at TQ's 76 station, 5425 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, which police said has been robbed in the past. Officer Ryan, who is investigating the case with Officer Jesse Grant, said the suspect entered the store area of the station where the owner and clerk were. Their names were not released by police. The clerk fled out of the store and the owner told the suspect to take whatever he wanted, police said. When the suspect could not get the cash register opened he began looking for the owner, who by then had gotten a gun and was in the garage area, police said. When the suspect, who was still holding the gun, came into the garage the owner shot him in the side of the face, Goodfellow said. Based on a trail of blood found, police believe the suspect made it to a car parked about a block away. He showed up about 15 minutes later at San Leandro Hospital, 13855 East 14th St. Police do not believe he drove himself there and were looking for an accomplice. The man was arrested and later transferred to Eden Hospital in Castro Valley where he was in serious condition Tuesday. Goodfellow said the gas station owner was released after questioning."

North Carolina homeowner kills black home invader: "Authorities are investigating the death of a man after a homeowner shot him after an alleged home invasion. At approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Fayetteville police officers responded to an unit at the Lake Shore Grand Luxury Apartments at 5508 Faith Drive in reference to a home invasion. Investigators said three men entered the residence armed with a weapon while the occupant was home. Police said the homeowner heard the men enter the residence, armed himself and fired, shooting one of them. Police said all three men fled the scene and drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where the wounded suspect died as a result of his injuries. Detectives have the other two suspects in custody. Authorities have not yet released the names of the people involved."

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

NY: Burglar shot by store owner: "A burglary suspect was shot by a store owner early Friday at 1144 E. Main St., according to Rochester police. ... The 58-year-old business owner reported a burglary at 1:50 a.m. after he was alerted by an alarm, said Rochester Police Officer Deidre Taccone. Police searched the building but found no suspects, Taccone said. The store owner repaired a door that was damaged in the break-in. While the owner waited for other police officers to arrive to search for evidence such as fingerprints, a 41-year-old man entered the store about 4:15 a.m., Taccone said. The store owner confronted the man and the intruder came at the store owner, she said. The business owner shot the man with a registered handgun and called 911."

Bent on evil: "For example, consider homicide rates not involving firearms. The U.S. statistics rank higher than many European countrys' total murder rates, while Mexico, the Philippines and Taiwan have no-gun homicide rates higher than the U.S. total murder rate. Furthermore, 27.2 percent of Swiss nationals own hundreds of thousands of fully automatic rifles in their homes as part of their national defense; Switzerland has a low firearm homicide rate. Yet Great Britain with its draconian gun laws has a higher firearm murder rate. In the long run, if potential mass killers didn't have access to firearms (an unlikely prospect even if the gun laws were changed) they would just turn to other weapons to commit their crime, a bomb being a likely choice."

UT: Armed pharmacist stops robbery in progress: "Police say a 35-year-old Salt Lake man didn't really have a gun when he walked into a pharmacy and handed an employee a note demanding painkillers. But a pharmacy co-worker did. ... A pharmacy worker told police the man handed her a note stating 'This is a robbery. Give me 2 bottles of Oxycontin ... Do NOT make a scene and no one will get hurt. I have a gun.' ... another pharmacy co-worker showed his gun, and the suspect attempted to flee. The suspect, however, 'deferred to suggestions' made by a passer-by armed with a golf club to wait for police, according to the charging documents."

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Arkansas pharmacy robber shot: "Marion, AR - A would-be robber is recovering in the med after being shot by the store clerk he was trying to rob. It happened this afternoon at the marion discount pharmacy in marion arkansas. Tonight.. Locals are calling the shooter a hero. It's well-known around town that Marion discount pharmacy had been robbed three times before. Locals are fed up. And when they heard how an attempted robbery got foiled.. Some.. Called the shooter a hero. "There was a guy laying in front of the door," says Nicky Glover a bystander who hadn't seen anything like this happen in Marion before. Marion Discount Pharmacy had just been robbed two weeks ago. But this latest attempt sent the would-be robber to the hospital. The shooter? A female pharmacist who was tired of being scared. "I think she probably solved a lot of problems here in Marion," says a friend who came to give support when they heard pharmacist Susan Burns shot a robber in her store. "We're all tired up and down this mall of robbers, thieves. She's my hometown hero." Police say around 3pm, the suspect, 26-year-old Jeremy Johnson, walked in with a gun. Police say Johnson then told a pharmacist behind the counter to get down on the ground, and ordered another to get him drugs. Somehow, Burns pulled a gun from behind the counter and fired. Police say the last time a robber came in, that robber had stuck a gun to her head. This robber didn't get far. Police say Johnson already had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from another robbery in Tennessee."

Idaho teens make a point: "Two home-schooled teenagers in this northern Idaho town say they are carrying loaded guns to the library, grocery store and other public areas for self-defense, as a crime deterrent, and to educate others about their rights. Zach Doty, 18, carries a loaded Glock handgun on his hip. His 15-year-old brother, Steven, carries a .22-caliber rifle in a sling on his back. Police have been called on several occasions to question the teens but have not found the teens to be in violation of the law. In Idaho, residents 18 and older can openly carry a firearm in public. And those ages 13 to 17 who have parental permission can carry a rifle in public. "I certainly don't anticipate that I'll need to use it, but I'd rather have it and not need it than to not have it and need it," Zach told the Coeur d'Alene Press. "There's no reason for me to hide a weapon." Zach was stopped April 17 on his way to Bible study. On Friday, police again responded when someone reported the brothers with guns in a park. But police left after confirming it was the Doty's."

Comment by economist Walter Williams: "Now let's turn to gun control laws. What do Virginia Tech's 32 murders, Columbine High School's 13 murders, Jonesboro Westside Middle School's five murders, Germany's Gutenberg High School's 16 murders, the murder of 14 legislators in Zug, Switzerland, and the murder of eight city council members in a Paris suburb all have in common? Answer: All the murders were committed in "gun-free zones." So a reasonable question is: Does legislation creating gun-free zones prevent murder and mayhem? In 1970, Israel adopted a policy to arm teachers and parents serving as school aids with semi-automatic weapons. Attacks by gunmen at Israeli schools have ceased. At Appalachian Law School in Virginia, a gunman who had already murdered three people was stopped from further carnage by two armed students. Gun possession stopping crime is not atypical, though it goes unreported by the media. According to various research estimates, from 764,000 to as many as 2.5 million crimes are prevented by armed, law-abiding people either warning a criminal that they're armed, brandishing their weapon or shooting a criminal. In the interest of truth in packaging, I think we should rename "gun-free zones" to "defenseless zones."

Monday, May 21, 2007

Indiana shooter says he acted in self-defense: "The man accused of shooting a fellow worker Monday evening at a local horse-training facility says he acted in self-defense. Charles Wolcott, 51, was upgraded Tuesday evening from critical to serious-but-stable condition after being shot in the stomach by 56-year-old Richard Velas. Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson said Velas has not been arrested or charged with a crime, and Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said it's possible the shooting was provoked when Wolcott allegedly attacked Velas with a hammer. Police say the shooting occurred about 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Glenwood Training Center along Ind. 111 near the Clark-Floyd county line. Velas was reportedly living at a residence on the property while Wolcott - whose permanent address is Bennettsville Road in Borden - was temporarily living with his girlfriend in a home adjacent to the facility. Velas allegedly fired two shots at Wolcott from a rare .36 caliber black-powder six-shot revolver, a gun Mills said police "weren't really used to dealing with." A friend of Velas' - who declined to give his name but was caring for two of his own horses at Glenwood Tuesday afternoon - said Velas "felt really bad" about the shooting and described him as a "passive man who avoided confrontation."

Statue spooks British cops: "A terrified dad was held by police for 13 hours after they mistook a dummy of Lara Croft for a gunman. Computer games fan David Williams, 42, was arrested when armed cops swooped on his home late at night. He was pinned to the ground, handcuffed and quizzed - after officers spotted his life-sized model of the gun-toting Tomb Raider star, reports The Sun. David, from Dukinfield, Greater Manchester said: "I can't believe the police could be so stupid." He had called cops, about nuisance phone calls he'd received, but when two officers arrived, one saw the limited edition 6ft statue, worth 1,000 pounds, standing in the darkness of his living room window. Fearing it was an armed crook, the officers called in support - and David was held at gunpoint. David, who runs a computer games store, said: "The back-up cops burst in through the back door and knocked me to the ground. One jabbed a gun in the back of my neck and said, 'All right - where's the gun?' "I said, 'I don't have one'. They weren't happy and searched the house. "They must have soon realised what had happened because the PC who called for help was getting a lot of stick."

More British keystone cops: "Armed police chased gunmen along a motorway and cornered them in a supermarket car park - only to find two teenage girls in fancy dress with a toy pistol. Holly Spedding and Fatima Rupp, both 19, stopped their car to find themselves surrounded by police marksmen pointing guns at them and screaming: "Put your hands up!" The girls, dressed as cowgirls, cowered in fear as two helicopters hovered overhead and van loads of police dogs snarled at them. Holly and Fatima, who were locked up for hours before they were finally released, told how they had been returning from a Cowboys and Indians night at Chester University. As they headed home to Harrogate, North Yorkshire, along the M62 they joked with passing lorry drivers who spotted Fatima's cowboy hat. She said: "The lorry drivers were pretending to shoot me with their fingers. So I pointed the toy gun back at them. Everyone was smiling and laughing." But an off-duty police officer had spotted the girls and reported them for threatening motorists. Holly, who was driving, and Fatima realised something was wrong when they noticed a half a dozen police cars on their tail. Holly said: "We were petrified when we stopped and they came screeching up and surrounded us. "There were four jeeps, two vans full of dogs, armed police, helicopters and they were screaming: 'Where's the gun?'"

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Detroit crook killed by intended victim: "A robbery and crime spree aided by an unloaded gun came to a halt late Thursday when the gunman met more than his match: a gun with bullets. Charles Parker Jr., 18, of Detroit was killed when a 53-year-old man pulled out a 9mm handgun and shot the teen, who was armed with an unloaded .22-caliber handgun. Detroit police are calling it self-defense. The botched carjacking on Grand River and Prevost came after a string of robberies in Detroit on Thursday, which police said were committed by Parker and four others, ranging in age from 16 to 20. The robberies began about 8:40 p.m. Thursday at Kentucky and Curtis when a 16-year-old was robbed of his cell phone, a silver chain and his wallet, by at least two of the suspects, police said. At 9:30 p.m., the robbers attempted to carjack a couple in the driveway of their home in the 19600 block of Appoline, police said. One pointed the unloaded gun at the couple and pulled the trigger. The teens fled without the car. Later, police said, the robbers saw a man at a Detroit car wash and tried to carjack him. The one approached with the unloaded gun and the other wielded a baseball bat, police said. That's when the man washing his car fired, striking Parker. Parker's alleged accomplices took him to Sinai-Grace Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Hospital security officers detained the other youths until police arrived. Police spokesman James Tate said a 17-year-old Detroit female, 16-year-old Southfield boy, a 19-year-old Southfield man, and a 20-year-old Detroit man are in custody. They face arraignment on armed robbery charges today in Detroit's 36th District Court. After the shooting, police questioned the 53-year-old man and released him, noting that he had a valid concealed weapons permit. Then they gave him back his gun."

Tennessee man says he shot teen at motel in self-defense: "South Precinct detectives believe Anthony Poole, 19, who was killed early Thursday at the Super 8 Motel on Harding Place, was shot in self-defense. The events began when Michael Darvin, 31, went to the Hamilton Inn on Briley Parkway at Interstate 40 late Wednesday and made a crack sale, according to police. While he was at the Hamilton Inn, he was robbed by three men. He returned to the Super 8, where he was staying. Less than an hour later, Darvin saw the three robbers in the hallway, he told police. The three men, at least two of them with guns, demanded that he allow them in his room. He pulled his own gun and shot two of them. He told police it was in self-defense. Poole and Steven Newsome, 26, were wounded. The third man, Kenzo Quezergue, 18, wasn't injured. Newsome drove to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with Poole and Quezergue in the car. Poole died at the hospital. Newsome was treated and released. Newsome and Quezergue are being charged with aggravated robbery. Darvin waited at the motel until police arrived and told officers he shot the men. No charges have been placed against him, but the investigation is continuing, police said."

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Rochester, New York: Burglar shot: "A burglar gets more than he bargained for Friday morning when he broke into a store on East Main Street. Rochester police say the owner of "Utility Solutions" called police just before 2 Friday morning to report a burglary and that he had shot the suspect. When police arrived at the store two hours later--they found the 41-year-old suspect with a gunshot wound to the hip. Police say the store owner shot the man when he came at him. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to be ok. Police did collect the store owner's gun as part of the investigation. They say that gun was registered. They are not yet releasing any names in this case."

Buffalo, New York: Clerk thwarts robber by pulling shotgun: "A would-be bandit fled from a Best Street convenience store at about 10:45 a.m. Thursday when a clerk pulled a shotgun on him, Buffalo police said. The attempted holdup occurred at Best Market, 465 Best St., where the bandit entered the store and yelled, “Give me the money and hurry up,” police said."

Michigan: Kalamazoo man fends off attackers with handgun: "A Kalamazoo man was able to turn an attempted attack around because of his concealed weapons permit. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department says 32-year-old Brian Smith was approached by two men as he was entering his apartment on Mt. Royal Drive just before 2 a.m. Friday. One of the suspects asked Smith for directions to Kalamazoo Valley Community College and then pulled out a revolver. Smith pulled out his revolver to defend himself and fired two shots, hitting the suspect in his left hand. Both of the suspects fled the scene on foot. The wounded suspect was arrested a short time later while trying to get medical attention. The other suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a black man in his early 20s, about 5'8" tall and having a thin build, and last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and black jeans."

Friday, May 18, 2007

CA: Police shoot sword-wielding nut: "A man suspected of attacking another with a sword inside a church was shot and killed Wednesday by police after a daylong search, authorities said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, died in a confrontation with officers inside a crawl space underneath a freeway bridge, said Mary Grady, a police department spokeswoman. The shooting occurred about 6:30 p.m. after a brief foot chase by the plainclothes officers, who spotted the man near the All Nations Church in the Lake View Terrace neighborhood, authorities said. A sword was recovered from the scene of the shooting. The night before, paramedics were called to the church when a man dressed in army fatigues attacked another with a sword, police said. When the victim tried to block the attack, the sword sliced his arm. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, authorities said."

Florida: White home invader shot: "The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to find a man who forced his way into a home this morning at about 11:30 on Minneola Avenue in Callaway. The suspect was met in the home by the victim who had heard the man enter and armed herself with a small caliber handgun. The victim fired at the suspect three times. The man fled the home and left the scene in a newer model, black Volkswagen Jetta. When deputies arrived they found where the man had entered by forcing open a rear door to the home. The man is described as a heavy set white male with short hair. At the time of the incident, the man was wearing a plaid shirt. It is believed the man may have been wounded by the victim."

Indiana: Intruder shot and killed by homeowner: "An apparent intruder is dead after a possible home invasion led a homeowner to shoot him. Detectives say they'll question the homeowner Monday morning to find out exactly what happened about 11:30 Sunday night. That's when police were called to this home in the 3100 block of Park. The homeowner made that 911 call to say he shot an intruder. "The homeowner indicated the individual, the victim had broken into his house and confronted the homeowner in the front room, living room area and the homeowner had a long gun and discharged his weapon at least one time," said IMPD homicide detective Lt. Kevin Kelly. Police aren't sure what the victim was looking for."

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Tennessee police clear senior citizen in Kingsport shooting: "After reviewing statements and the evidence from the scene, police say a senior citizen acted in self-defense when he shot a man during a fracas in a Kingsport intersection. The incident began last Monday at about 6:15 p.m. According to Kingsport Police, Lawrence Jennings, 46, of Virgil Avenue, blocked the intersection of Nassau Drive and Kingston Court, not allowing his ex-girlfriend to pass. Police say Jennings' former girlfriend was a passenger in the car of Giles Eddie Ferguson, 69, who is her brother-in-law. Having stopped Ferguson and his ex-girlfriend in the roadway, Jennings allegedly began kick and hitting the car. Police say Jennings cursed the two occupants before he opened the vehicle door and began hitting Ferguson in the face. It was at this point that Ferguson apparently pulled out a gun -- which he had a valid permit to carry -- and shot Jennings in the abdomen. Jennings then drove to Valero Market on East Stone Drive, where he told the clerk he had been shot. He was taken to Holston Valley Medical Center where he underwent surgery. Det. David Cole said several witnesses observed Jennings stop Ferguson's car, as well as the shooting. On Tuesday police announced Ferguson's actions were in self-defense while Jennings had charges placed agianst him."

California: Shots fired during attempted robbery: "Authorities are looking for two men they believe may be responsible for two armed robberies and an attempted carjacking late Monday night. During the first armed robbery at the Fast Stop Market at Seventh and Victor streets, the gunman opened fire after the clerk grabbed a gun of his own from behind the counter, said Deputy Luke Gaytan of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Victorville station of the 10 p.m. incident. “The clerk grabs his own gun and he hears the guy (prepare) his gun before he shoots three times at the clerk,” Gaytan said. “He ducks for cover and basically almost takes a round.” The clerk was not injured. The gunman, who was dressed all in black with a white bandana over his face fled westbound through the parking lot, Gaytan said. Officials suggested that he may have been met by second man acting as a look out, when running from the building."

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Vermont: Gun stops invasion: "Police in Burlington are searching for several men in connection with a late night home invasion. It happened at a home on Green Acres Drive Friday night. Police say several men, armed with baseball bats, attempted to rob the home. But they were confronted by the homeowner, who reportedly fired a gun at the men. Police say the suspects fled from the scene and they don't believe anyone was injured. Police say it appears that the home had been targeted and that it was not a random incident. "A number of Burglaries happen in Burlington and the burglars are often tricky and try to go when there's no one at the residence. It's a fairly brazen act for someone to try to enter and to have the residence be occupied," said Burlington Police Lt. Bill Ward"

California: Teen robbery suspect killed by E. Oakland liquor-store clerk: "An East Oakland liquor-store clerk fired the fatal shots that killed a 17-year-old robbery suspect, whose accomplice has now been charged in his slaying, authorities said today. Tommy Ray Spencer Jr., 17, of Sacramento was shot and killed at about 10 p.m. Friday by the clerk at the Oak Tree Market at 1601 28th Ave. Spencer is the second would-be robber in the past month to die at the hands of an Oakland store employee or owner acting in self-defense, authorities said. Spencer and Juan Antonio Gonzalez, 23, also of Sacramento, went inside the market with the intent to rob the employees, said Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers. After accosting the store clerk, Spencer fired two shots from a weapon, prompting the clerk to produce a gun of his own and fire at least one shot, Rogers said. Spencer was killed, and Gonzalez fled, police said. The clerk, whose name wasn't released, won't face criminal charges because he acted in self-defense, Rogers said. The investigation led Oakland police on Sunday to Sacramento, where Gonzalez fired shots at Officer Jason Lancaster -- narrowly missing his head -- before escaping, Rogers said. Gonzalez was arrested without incident on Monday after police tracked him down at a Sacramento motel.

Baby gets gun permit: "A 10-MONTH-old Chicago boy whose application listed his height as 60cm, his weight as 9kg and was signed with a scribble, was issued a firearm permit for his 12-gauge shotgun. Bubba Ludwig was issued the identification card by Illinois authorities after his father, Howard Ludwig, paid the $US5 fee and filled out the application. The card lists the baby's height (68.6cm), weight (9kg) and has a scribble where the signature should be, the Associated Press reported. "Does a 10-month-old need a (firearms owners identification card)? No, but there are no restrictions under the act regarding age of applicants," said Illinois state police officer Scott Compton. Mr Ludwig, 30, applied for the card after his own father bought Bubba a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun as a gift."

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

No Free Speech for Gun Advocates

In response to the Virginia Tech massacre, a student at Hamline university in Minnesota sent an email to university officials saying that it should allow licensed gun owners to carry their weapons on campus as that would help keep the students safe. The university response?

"Hamline officials took swift action. On April 23, Scheffler received a letter informing him he'd been placed on interim suspension. To be considered for readmittance, he'd have to pay for a psychological evaluation and undergo any treatment deemed necessary, then meet with the dean of students, who would ultimately decide whether Scheffler was fit to return to the university.

Convicted and punished without trial in a way that would do the old Soviet Union proud -- as we have come to expect of American universities. And what Stalinist has ever respected free speech rights?

This must in fact be a proud day for American universities: In one fell swoop they have denied a man his right to free speech, his right to bear arms and his right to due process. A trifecta!

Sadly, the right to due process has long been denied to students by American universities -- with predictable abuses following on from that. The vast injustice of such proceedings actually killed a student in the Plinton case

Alabama bank robber shot by police: " Two employees at an Alabama Wachovia bank were killed Monday when they were shot during a holdup around 9 a.m. Two other employees were wounded, one of them seriously. Birmingham News reports Bill Vietch, chief assistant district attorney in the Bessemer Cutoff, said, "We have two cases of capital murder and hopefully we won't have to file a third." Reports state that the gunman walked up to the tellers and started shooting. The first two he shot were killed. The robber took the bank manager hostage after a customer pulled a gun on him. He exited the bank holding a gun to the manager's head but tripped on a curb outside the building, fell and was shot by police. The gunman was taken to the hospital".

Louisiana man shoots, kills intruder: "A 61-year-old Avondale man shot and killed an intruder into his home Sunday evening, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Cornelius Sims said he was asleep in his home around 11 p.m. Sunday, along with his wife and young children, when he was awakened by noises that he believed were coming from his garage area, according to spokesman John Fortunato. Fortunato said that Sims went down into his kitchen and was startled by a man standing in his kitchen. Sims told deputies that he fired several shots in the man’s direction and that the suspect then fled. Deputies responding to the scene found the man lying near the side yard of Sims’ home. He was identified as 35-year-old Ronnie Wells."

Monday, May 14, 2007

NH.: Passerby guns down police officer's killer: "New Hampshire authorities said yesterday that they will not press charges against a former Marine who stepped into a deadly shooting and killed a 24-year-old high school dropout who had moments earlier fatally shot a police officer. The former Marine, Gregory W. Floyd, 49, was driving with his son along Route 116 in Franconia on Friday night when he saw Liko Kenney, 24, shoot Franconia Police Corporal Bruce McKay, 48, four times in the torso. After Kenney drove his Toyota Celica over McKay as the officer lay on the ground, Floyd grabbed the officer's service weapon and shot and killed Kenney. Authorities said the double shooting was the bloody climax of a long-simmering feud between McKay, a 12-year-veteran of the three-member department, and Kenney, a cousin of World Cup champion skier Bode Miller.... New Hampshire's attorney general, Kelly A. Ayotte, said Floyd will not face charges because he was justified in using deadly force. "Based on the results of the investigation, our conclusion is that Gregory Floyd's actions were justified based upon dangerous circumstances confronted with and efforts to assist McKay," Ayotte said at a news conference in Concord."

Minnesota madness. Victim arrested. Muggers go free: "After spending two nights in the Ramsey County jail, Donald Hurd walked out Thursday with no wallet, no cash and nowhere to go. The 68-year-old man was mugged Tuesday night in St. Paul, and officers arrested him after he shot one of the suspected robbers. .... Hurd said he was only trying to scare the three young men who attacked him. Legal experts said Hurd's case doesn't seem to meet the self-defense standard in Minnesota. The 18-year-old man who Hurd shot in the shoulder is expected to be fine, police said. You would think somewhere between the letter of the law, there's some space there for some consideration and understanding," Hurd said. "It is an injustice." The robbery suspects weren't arrested. The investigation into the robbery and the shooting continues, police said.... Hurd doesn't have a criminal history, but he acknowledged some problems with the way he handled things Tuesday night. He lied to police at first about the shooting, which he said he did because he was scared and confused. He doesn't have a permit to carry the pistol he had with him... State Rep. Tony Cornish, who sponsored a bill this legislative session to give citizens more leeway in using deadly force to defend themselves, said he was outraged by what happened to Hurd. "Maybe if these scumbags that were beating and robbing our old people had some doubt in their mind if they were going to survive their own crime, they would have some doubt about committing it in the first place," said Cornish, R-Good Thunder.... Even so, local attorneys think an argument could be made for Hurd's actions. If he is charged and the case goes to a jury, he'll likely come across as a sympathetic figure, they said. "These aren't cases prosecutors like to take to juries," said Richard Frase, a University of Minnesota law professor."

Sunday, May 13, 2007

NY Killing is self defense: "A man who opened fire on intruders who planned to steal a half-pound stash of cocaine from his Raymond Street home killed one of the men in self defense, prosecutors said Friday after the man pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges. Police initially charged Harry Glenn with second-degree murder after he killed Richard DeGroat, 39, with a gunshot to the head and shot another man, Bertram Payne, 20, when they forced their way into the house on Dec. 2. Even though Glenn had a large amount of cocaine in the house, he was still entitled to defend himself when DeGroat, Payne and third person, Nydia Robles, tried to steal the narcotics, Schenectady County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Philip Mueller said. "It appears the shootings of both men were instantaneous reactions by Mr. Glenn confronting people who were invading his home," Mueller said. Glenn, 27, still faces 10 years in prison on drug and weapon charges when sentenced July 13 by County Judge Karen Drago. Glenn shot Payne first. Mueller said Glenn went to check on Payne and then shot DeGroat who surprised him. The two men had bought a pellet gun earlier in the day and had it with them when the broke into the Raymond Street home. Payne was shot in the hand but escaped. He was treated at Ellis Hospital. He and Robles have previously pleaded guilty to burglary and attempted robbery charges. Payne faces a sentence of 11 years in prison and Robles is looking at nine years."

Michigan crooks pick the wrong victim: "Two would-be thieves wound up fleeing their intended victim Saturday afternoon. The men, one armed with a handgun, tried to carjack a man in the Sears parking lot about 2 p.m. at Eastland mall, according to a Harper Woods Police press release. But the man turned out to be a retired Detroit Police officer -- and he had a handgun, Harper Woods Police said. The retired officer fired one shot at the men, striking the stolen Dodge Durango truck they were driving, police said. Detroit Police found the truck on Buckingham Street, but the suspects were gone. No one was harmed in the shooting and Harper Woods Police detectives are investigating the case."

North Carolina woman kills man in scuffle: "Police are investigating the fatal shooting in southeast Charlotte that might have resulted from a scuffle between a man and a woman. Details remain murky this morning, but police confirm that a man was shot and killed about 11:15 p.m. Thursday night at an apartment complex in the 1100 block of McIlway Road. That's between Monroe and Randolph roads. Police said they were called to the apartments and found the body of a man in the parking lot. He had been shot, officers say. About a half-hour later, police were called to Presbyterian Hospital, where a woman had arrived with a gunshot wound. During questioning, police quickly determined that the female shooting victim was involved in the death of the man on McIlway Road. The woman told police that she had been attacked by the man, and a scuffle started. During the fight, she said, the woman was able to pull a handgun away from the man. The woman said she then shot the man. Police homicide detectives are investigating the case and are asking the public for help. Anyone who might have seen the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers, at 704-334-1600. The identities of the man and woman have not been released. They have been described only as a black male and a black female."

Saturday, May 12, 2007

California store owner shoots robber : "A Boggs Tract convenience store owner shot and wounded a man who robbed his store today, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office investigators said. It was about noon when two men wearing bandanas over their faces entered Sonora Market at 545 S. Fresno St. One man stayed at the front door while the second man who was armed with a handgun demanded the cash from two registers, robbed a customer and took a bottle of liquor. When he turned to leave, the owner shot him twice in the back, sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Moreno said. Store owner Paramjit Singh was questioned by investigators today. Sheriff’s investigators said they would not be arresting Singh today and it would be up to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office to determine if he shot the robber in self-defense. Investigators believe a man who walked into San Joaquin General Hospital suffering two gunshot wounds was the man who robbed Singh’s store. The man’s accomplice had not yet been found this afternoon. This is the fifth time so far in 2007 that the Sonora Market has been robbed."

Ohio driver shoots robber : "The driver of a lunch wagon shot a man who was trying to rob him this afternoon at Millsdale Street at Curzon Avenue, just west of Anthony Wayne Avenue, police said. Cincinnati Police Lt. Chris Matzen said three young men tried to rob the driver of the lunch wagon at about 12:30 p.m. During the incident, shots reportedly were fired by one of the three men. Matzen said the lunch wagon driver pulled out a concealed weapon and shot and hit one of the three. The wounded man was taken to University Hospital, where he went into surgery. A search is on for the two other men. The lunch wagon remained in the middle of the cordoned-off intersection this afternoon.

Philadelphia Teen Fatally Shot Breaking Into Home: "A teenager was fatally shot while allegedly attempting to rob a Southwest Philadelphia home Friday afternoon, police said. According to police, the teen was one of two people who broke into the home on the 5900 block of Greenway Avenue. A 21-year-old inside the residence grabbed a gun and shot at the would-be robbers. The teen, who police said was 16 or 17 years old, was shot in the chest and rushed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia but later pronounced dead, police said. Police reported that the home has been broken into three or four times in the past couple of months."

Friday, May 11, 2007

THE 2006 HERO OF THE YEAR

Jeff May is an Ojibwe Indian from Minnesota. Readers Digest named him the 2006 Hero of the Year. I had never heard of Jeff May until I opened a letter from a listener yesterday. My guess is that you have never heard of him either. Here's the story.

About two years ago a young male wearing a black trench coat walked into the Red Lake Senior High School in northern Minnesota. He was carrying not one, not two, but three guns. He started shooting and killed eight people, injuring seven more .... then Jeff May took action. A teacher? No ... Jeff May was a sophomore at Red Lack. Sixteen years old, perhaps 15. (Can't nail down his exact age). Jeff was doing algebra problems with a pencil when the shooter entered his classroom. After May saw what was happening he rushed the gunman ... armed only with the pencil. He stabbed the shooter in the side with the pencil and the two started struggling. Jeff May was shot in the face. By this time the police showed up, and the shooter killed himself. Jeff May's teacher, Missy Dodds, says he saved many of his classmates lives, and hers. Other news reports put the number of lives that Jeff May saved at a dozen. After the incident he spent a lengthy time in physical, occupational and speech therapy for his injuries.

Was Jeff May a hot-shot student athlete at Red Lake? Not known. His pictures show him to be a slightly pudgy teenager. What you can't see in those pictures is a heart the size of a basketball. Can you folks imagine this? Nothing like this could ever happen, right? Someone walks into a classroom blazing away with multiple guns, and a student -- a 16-year-old -- rushes him with a pencil? No .. this just has to be a work of Hollywood fiction. No teenager could possibly ever show such bravery. But it's not, and he did.

What happened here? Hard to say. Maybe Jeff May was raised in a culture where self-defense was praised rather than condemned. Maybe he was raised in a home with a strong father. Maybe his Ojimwe culture celebrates individualism.

Another question: Why haven't I heard of Jeff May before yesterday? We certainly get all of the gory details from every school shooting, and this Red Lake shooting in 2005 had been the worst since Columbine. Why wasn't Jeff May celebrated across this country? is it possible because his actions are politically incorrect in our current culture of government dependency?

And why is the idea of self-defense so unpopular with the left? Why, when someone acts to save their own life and the lives of others, do we invariably get some public official or politician warning us about the dangers of "taking the law into our own hands?" Remember, please, the leftist war against individualism. Self-defense is a uniquely individualist pursuit. There you are, an individual person, using deadly force to protect ... yourself! Don't you know that in this age of big-government that this is a job for the police!

About 20 legislators in South Carolina have now introduced legislation that would allow anyone in South Carolina with a concealed weapons permit to carry that weapon on a government school or college campus. The only other state in the union with such a law is Utah. Get this passed in South Carolina and you will make South Carolina school grounds among the safest in the nation. Liberals, however, are going to scream bloody murder. They will fight tooth and nail to defeat this measure .. and my guess is that they'll probably succeed.

Why is it that liberals hate the idea of an armed citizen so much? They can read the statistics just like we can. If they care to research the matter, they will learn that people with concealed carry permits simply do not commit gun crimes! So, the liberal opposition to citizens carrying guns simply cannot be excused over fears for general public safety. The facts simply don't bear those fears out. There has to be something else at work here, and there is. Liberals don't like armed individuals because they are .... individuals. Carrying a gun for self-defense is, as I said, a uniquely individual pursuit. It's a loud statement by an individual citizen saying "I own my life, and I have the right to take deadly action to defend it." The liberal believes that your life belongs to government, and that it is the government's job to protect it. Thank God Jeff May didn't buy it.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell is warning New York to stop, by the summer, sending private agents into Virginia to look for illegal gun sales, saying that the agents could face legal action. Because of a Virginia law that goes into effect in July, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R) and his agents could be charged with a felony if they continue to target Virginia gun dealers with undercover sting operations, McDonnell said.

McDonnell (R) has sent Bloomberg what amounts to a cease-and-desist letter. "This was a courtesy letter to the mayor to advise him about a change in Virginia law of which he should be aware," McDonnell said Wednesday.

Bloomberg's spokesman, Jason Post, did not seem shaken: "We wish Attorney General McDonnell was as aggressive in enforcing the laws that prevent illegal guns from getting in the hands of criminals as he was in enforcing the laws that protect the gun lobby."

Convinced that illegal gun sales in Virginia contribute to violent crime in his city, Bloomberg has been arming private investigators with hidden cameras and sending them into Virginia gun stores to try to make illegal buys. The process involves "straw purchases," in which one person legally fills out a form and buys a gun for someone else. New York has filed suit against two dozen gun dealers over such practices, including six in Virginia.

In February, Town & Country Pawn Shop of Roanoke settled with New York and agreed to allow a special judge monitor their firearms sales. But several other dealers, including Bob Moate's Sports Shop in Richmond, are fighting the lawsuit in court. According to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York police recovered 22 guns between 1994 and 2002, including some used in homicides, that they said were sold by at Bob Moate's. In March 2006, New York sent a man and woman into the store to confirm its suspicion that the store was making illegal gun sales. "Once the male investigator selected a gun and indicated a desire to purchase it, the female investigator, who had not been part of the discussion, approached the counter to make the purchase," the suit alleges. The woman filled out the required paperwork, but then the man came and paid cash for the gun, the suit says.

Richard Gardiner, the store's attorney, says his client has "no connection" to New York's gun violence. He also accuses the investigators of tricking his clients into making the sale. "If anything, these dealers are the victims," Gardiner said.

Gun rights groups are also furious, and in the spring they convinced the Republican-controlled General Assembly to intervene. The House and Senate overwhelmingly approved a law that says Virginia or federal law enforcement officials have to be present before such stings can be conducted. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) signed the law in March. "This new law strikes the proper balance between ensuring proper law enforcement and protecting the rights of law-abiding firearms dealers and those of Virginia citizens under the Second Amendment," McDonnell, a possible Republican candidate for governor in 2009, wrote to Bloomberg.

Michigan delivery man shoots would-be robber: "A deadly shooting involving a pizza delivery man and a group of robbers has the delivery man in protective custody and police searching for one of his attackers. It happened at 10 p.m. Wednesday night at the intersection of Hammerberg Road and Stoney Brook Court on Flint's southwest side. Police say the driver tried to get out to make a delivery when one of the robbers hit him in the back of the head with a wrench. The delivery man recovered enough to grab his gun and fired several shots, hitting one of the robbers. He died near a street sign just feet from the front doors of some shocked neighbors. Police are still investigating, but here's what we've learned. The pizza delivery man claims self defense and is in protective custody. It's unclear if he'll face charges because it's simply too early in the investigation. As for the group of robbers, police are searching for one of them. One was arrested one soon after the attack... We did speak with the man who runs the Little Caesar's where the driver has worked for at least a year. He did not speak on camera, but said off camera that his drivers only carry about $25 or $30 at a time, and safety is a top and growing concern for their drivers."

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Michigan: No charges over teen's shooting death: "While the man who fatally shot a Benton Harbor teen during an attempted break-in will face no charges in the death, authorities say they will pursue a misdemeanor weapons charge against him. On the morning of March 26, Jammie Parker, 31, was at his girlfriend's home in the 200 block of Hastings Avenue when Corey Napier Jr., 18, and three others reportedly attempted to enter the home, the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office said. After a review of the police investigation and physical evidence at the scene, Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter said in a written statement that "it is abundantly clear" that Napier was shot "while he was in the process of breaking into the residence." Cotter noted in the release that Michigan law was amended last year to allow self-defense when an individual in such circumstances has "an honest and reasonable belief that there was an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm." Parker reportedly told authorities that he went into a bedroom and saw the drawn shade of an open window moving as someone attempted to climb in, the release said. Parker said he shot three times at the window with a .40 caliber pistol and then ran outside and fired into the air to scare the remaining teens away. In police interviews, two of the three youths involved in the attempt admitted they had gone to the home to steal money and marijuana they believed was inside, the release said. Cotter said he found insufficient evidence that Parker shot at a fleeing youth, and noted that an uninvolved witness saw Parker fire the weapon into the air. Because the gun was not registered, Parker will be charged with failing to register a firearm, a 90-day misdemeanor."

PA: Purchase of gun ends thefts at area store: "Merlony Colaco got robbed one too many times, and instead of shrugging and moving on, he did something about it. The Greencastle merchant was mad and not going to take it anymore, so he bought a shotgun and caught a woman he didn't know inside his convenience store. He also put the kibosh on what police call a recent string of local smash-and-grab robberies. After his store, the Molly Pitcher Mini Mart, was broken into for the second time, Colaco picked up a shotgun and set up an after-hours stakeout. In late March, his waiting reaped results when a brick sailed through his store window. Police said Erica Marie Lynch allegedly broke into the store to steal cigarettes for crack money. Colaco was ready and police said he held her at bay until they arrived. Thankfully, cool heads prevailed and no one was hurt. Colaco refused to play the victim. He used his Second Amendment rights to buy a firearm and defend his property, and he did it with common sense. Things could have turned ugly very easily in the moments before police arrived. Take a twitch, throw in a sarcastic remark, and add in the fact that perhaps Colaco had a bad day, and the result could have been needless bloodshed. And the Greencastle store owner could have been left with a very serious legal problem. Law enforcement apparently agreed -- Colaco said they told Lynch, "You're lucky he didn't shoot you." Lynch was charged with two counts of burglary and theft"

The Second Amendment in the light of American republicanism: "The 'transforming' ideology of America's revolutionary period saw the chief conflict in society as one between liberty and power. That ideology synthesized themes from several sources. Given the differing origins and jumping-off points of classical liberalism and classical republicanism (the two most important elements), the American 'synthesis' might be expected to undergo some unraveling when up against the harder problems of political life."

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Stossel links gun control to higher crime rate: "On Friday's 20/20, ABC anchor John Stossel discussed the self-defensive benefits of gun ownership, debunking the myth that 'gun control reduces crime,' during 20/20's recurring series 'Myths, Lies & Downright Stupidity,' based on Stossel's book of the same title. Citing the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Washington, D.C.'s ban on gun ownership, Stossel talked to the pro-gun plaintiff in the case, and pointed out that the murder rate in D.C. increased after the city's gun ban."

CA: Home invasion foiled: ""An apparent home invasion robbery in North Park was foiled Sunday when one of the residents returned fire, according to San Diego police. Two gunmen ran in the front door of the home in the 4700 block of 32nd Street about 3:40 p.m. and began shooting, said Sgt. Rodney Vandiver of the San Diego Police Department. One of the occupants returned fire, but it was not immediately known if anyone was hit, Vandiver said. Authorities said the incident may have been a home invasion."

Australia: Optimist hid loaded shotgun in his pants: "A 28-year-old man carrying a loaded sawn-off shotgun concealed in his pants was arrested last night by police in Frankston North. Police responded around 10.30pm to a call about a man outside a residential address who was believed to be armed with a firearm. Local police and dog squad units arrived on the corner of Excelsior Drive and Matlock Avenue to find the man. Police ordered the man to raise his hands and lie on the ground. Officers found a loaded sawn off shotgun with several additional rounds of ammunition and a folding knife concealed in his pants. No one was injured as a result of the incident. The man has been charged with firearms and weapons offences and has been remanded into custody to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court this morning for a filing hearing."

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

A Liberal Case for the Individual Right to Own Guns Helps Sway the Federal Judiciary

In March, for the first time in the nation's history, a federal appeals court struck down a gun control law on Second Amendment grounds. Only a few decades ago, the decision would have been unimaginable.

There used to be an almost complete scholarly and judicial consensus that the Second Amendment protects only a collective right of the states to maintain militias. That consensus no longer exists - thanks largely to the work over the last 20 years of several leading liberal law professors, who have come to embrace the view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own guns.

In those two decades, breakneck speed by the standards of constitutional law, they have helped to reshape the debate over gun rights in the United States. Their work culminated in the March decision, Parker v. District of Columbia, and it will doubtless play a major role should the case reach the United States Supreme Court.

Laurence H. Tribe, a law professor at Harvard, said he had come to believe that the Second Amendment protected an individual right. "My conclusion came as something of a surprise to me, and an unwelcome surprise," Professor Tribe said. "I have always supported as a matter of policy very comprehensive gun control." The first two editions of Professor Tribe's influential treatise on constitutional law, in 1978 and 1988, endorsed the collective rights view. The latest, published in 2000, sets out his current interpretation.

Several other leading liberal constitutional scholars, notably Akhil Reed Amar at Yale and Sanford Levinson at the University of Texas, are in broad agreement favoring an individual rights interpretation. Their work has in a remarkably short time upended the conventional understanding of the Second Amendment, and it set the stage for the Parker decision.

The earlier consensus, the law professors said in interviews, reflected received wisdom and political preferences rather than a serious consideration of the amendment's text, history and place in the structure of the Constitution. "The standard liberal position," Professor Levinson said, "is that the Second Amendment is basically just read out of the Constitution."

The Second Amendment says, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." (Some transcriptions of the amendment omit the last comma.)

If only as a matter of consistency, Professor Levinson continued, liberals who favor expansive interpretations of other amendments in the Bill of Rights, like those protecting free speech and the rights of criminal defendants, should also embrace a broad reading of the Second Amendment. And just as the First Amendment's protection of the right to free speech is not absolute, the professors say, the Second Amendment's protection of the right to keep and bear arms may be limited by the government, though only for good reason.

The individual rights view is far from universally accepted. "The overwhelming weight of scholarly opinion supports the near-unanimous view of the federal courts that the constitutional right to be armed is linked to an organized militia," said Dennis A. Henigan, director of the legal action project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "The exceptions attract attention precisely because they are so rare and unexpected."

Scholars who agree with gun opponents and support the collective rights view say the professors on the other side may have been motivated more by a desire to be provocative than by simple intellectual honesty. "Contrarian positions get play," Carl T. Bogus, a law professor at Roger Williams University, wrote in a 2000 study of Second Amendment scholarship. "Liberal professors supporting gun control draw yawns."

If the full United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit does not step in and reverse the 2-to-1 panel decision striking down a law that forbids residents to keep handguns in their homes, the question of the meaning of the Second Amendment is almost certainly headed to the Supreme Court. The answer there is far from certain. That too is a change. In 1992, Warren E. Burger, a former chief justice of the United States appointed by President Richard M. Nixon, expressed the prevailing view. "The Second Amendment doesn't guarantee the right to have firearms at all," Mr. Burger said in a speech. In a 1991 interview, Mr. Burger called the individual rights view "one of the greatest pieces of fraud - I repeat the word `fraud' - on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime."

Tennessee: Senior Citizen Wrestles Thief; Foils Robbery: "An armed robber tried to hold up a West Nashville store, but he messed with the wrong customer. The attempted robbery happened Sunday night at the Stop and Shop on Indiana Avenue.The robber walked into the Stop and Shop armed with a gun. His plan was to rob the store and the customers inside. Police said the robber held up the clerk, demanded money, and then the gunman, Anthony Lyons, 25, turned the gun on a 77 year-old customer. Police said the elderly man is a feisty one. He started wrestling with the robber, and that's when the gun went off. In the struggle, the gunman was hit with the bullet in the leg. He was sent to the hospital with those injuries. The 77 year-old customer who stopped the robbery is okay. He walked away from the scene, and he did not receive medical care at the hospital. He had stopped in the store for cough drops."

South Carolina: Gun-toting grocery clerk fires twice at robber: "A store clerk chased away a would-be robber Friday when the clerk pulled a gun on the armed assailant and fired at the man. Around 9:40 a.m., the Rock Hill Police Department responded to shots fired after an armed man entered Park Grocery at 732 E. Main St. in Rock Hill. "As he walked up to the counter and pointed a handgun at the clerk, the clerk pulled his own gun and fired one shot at the suspect," said Lt. Jerry Waldrop of the Rock Hill Police Department. "As the suspect ran, the ... victim fired a second shot." The suspect was not hit by the gunfire. No charges will be filed against the clerk, Waldrop said. The man did not get any money during the attempted robbery, Waldrop said. The assailant is described as a black man weighing 170 to 180 pounds and ranging in height from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 9 inches. He wore a black jumpsuit and a khaki hood or ski mask, Waldrop said."

Monday, May 07, 2007

Oklahoma: Pistol packin' grandma stops robbery attempt at her liquor store: "Criminals listen up. You might want to think twice before messing with one pistol-packin' grandma. A couple of would-be-robbers found out the hard way when they tried to hold up a west Lawton liquor store. What they didn't know was that the owner, 75-year-old Rosemarie O'Keeffe, was waiting for them-- armed with a gun and ready to pull the trigger. It seems they changed their minds pretty quickly when they realized they were staring down the barrel of her pistol. O'Keeffe says she just did what she had to do to protect herself and her business. She was behind the register at her liquor store this week, when she saw something that didn't look right. Two men wearing hoodies, with gauze bandages over their faces walking up to her store. "It really made me think an ancient mummy, the way he was covered up, so you know he wasn't doing anything good." O'Keeffe says it happened very quick. She could see out of the window from her register, saw the two guys walk by, and by the time they got to the door, she had a surprise for them. "I said, 'Oh my God he's going to rob me. What do I do?' I get up. I grab my gun and I point it at the door. He came in and I said, 'Get out or I'll shoot'." She wasn't joking. That was all the two masked men needed to see. O'Keeffe says they immediately high-tailed it out the door and ran away through the alley."

Tennessee: Tables turned on dumb robber: "A Jackson man who tried to rob a convenience store early Saturday found himself on the other end of his rifle after the clerk grabbed it and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, said Lt. Rick Holt. Police have charged Ontrell James, 29, with aggravated robbery and resisting arrest. He is being held on $200,000 bond at the Criminal Justice Complex and will be arraigned at 8 a.m. Monday in City Court. The incident happened about 4:40 a.m. at the Superway at 795 Airways Blvd., Holt said. James fought the officers as they were taking him into custody, leading to the charge of resisting arrest, Holt said."

North Carolina man is shot at, later charged in theft: "The owner of a pizza parlor shot at a man who he believed had broken into his business yesterday, Winston-Salem police said. The owner, James Daniel Moury, went to Upper Crust Pizza on Silas Creek Parkway after the store's burglar alarm went off about 4:25 a.m. Moury confronted a man just outside Upper Crust and, believing that the man had a gun, shot at him, police said. Moury missed. The man ran, but officers caught him in the parking lot, police said. They have charged Curtis L. Barnett II, 25, with possession of stolen property. A warrant lists an address on Southdale Avenue for Barnett, but his family said he hasn't lived there in months. He was in the Forsyth County Jail last night, with bond set at $3,000."

Background

“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” -- Thomas Jefferson

Syndicated columnist Charley Reese (1937-2013): "Gun control by definition affects only honest people. When a politician tells you he wants to forbid you from owning a firearm or force you to get a license, he is telling you he doesn’t trust you. That’s an insult. ... Gun control is not about guns or crime. It is about an elite that fears and despises the common people."

The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles -- Jeff Cooper (1920-2006)

Note for non-American readers: Crime reports from America which describe an offender just as a "teen" or "teenager" almost invariably mean a BLACK teenager.

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.

Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)

First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean

It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.

The intellectual Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) said: "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."

How much do you know about Trayvon Martin? Did you recognize him in the picture above? If not you may need to know more about him. It's all here (Backups here and here)

“An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.” -- Robert A. Heinlein